Averna Amaro 700ml

Averna Amaro is a bittersweet Sicilian amaro made in Caltanissetta, in the centre of Sicily, at 29% ABV. The recipe came from the town’s Capuchin abbey and was handed to Don Salvatore Averna in 1868.

Buy Averna Amaro Online in New Zealand

Averna blends herbs, roots and spices with essential oils of Sicilian bitter orange and lemon, plus pomegranate peel. The botanicals are infused in alcohol and left to macerate, then the herbal infusion is diluted, filtered and blended with sugar, alcohol and caramel before resting for 45 days. The infusion is still made in Caltanissetta. The result is softer and rounder than many sharply bitter Italian aperitivi, which is why it works for people new to amaro.

Averna describes it as:

Nose: Mediterranean herbs, with myrtle, juniper, rosemary and sage.

Palate: Sicilian citrus first, then herbs, softly bitter and velvety.

The house serve is 60ml over about three cubes of clear ice in a small glass, with a ribbon of orange zest twisted over the top to release its oils. In cocktails it can stand in for sweet vermouth in a Manhattan or add depth to a Black Manhattan. It sits well after dinner with dark chocolate, orange cake or biscotti.

Choose it if you want an approachable amaro for sipping on ice, or a rounder bitter element for stirred drinks.